Korean perceptions of transboundary air pollution and domestic coal development: Two framing experiments

This paper examines how exposure to messages about the cause of seasonal air pollution in Korea influences the Korean public's satisfaction with efforts to address the problem. It also assesses the impact of frames that accentuate the costs and benefits of the nation's coal usage on individuals’ support for coal-based energy development. It draws from framing theory to develop hypotheses tested in two distinct survey experiments that recruited a representative sample of residents living in the Seoul Metropolitan area. We find that frames that highlight the need for immediate policy action, by blaming China, Korea or both nations, decreases satisfaction with existing national efforts. Moreover, frames that attribute blame exclusively to China decrease satisfaction with China's efforts to combat the problem. On the domestic front, we find that Koreans’ views toward increased coal use are a function of exposure to a coal-costs or coal-benefits frame; however, when the frames appear simultaneously in competition, considerations about the economic benefits overpower concerns about the negative health effects. The results emphasize how frames can shift perceptions about the need for policy action as well as in securing public support or opposition toward a specific “polluting” energy source.